Auto Racing News - Racing Around

Promoters Of The Year - Post Falls, IDJoe (pictured) and Walt Doellefeld, promoters of Stateline Stadium & Speedway located in Post Falls, ID, were recently honored as the Thirty-Third Auto Racing Promoter of the Year by Racing Promotion Monthly, the idea newsletter for auto racing promoters. The Doellefelds received the industry's most prestigious award on their fifth nomination. The ceremony was part of the Speedweek National Workshops, the concluding event of the Thirty-Sixth Annual RPM Promoters Workshops Series. The Auto Racing Promoter of the Year is selected annually in balloting by promoters nationwide.

Two other awards were presented during the ceremonies. John McKarns, whose motor-sports ventures have included ARTGO promotions and MotorSports Management Services which operates the weekly racing program at the LaCrosse (WI) Fairgrounds Speedway was awarded the Tenth Annual Stew Reamer Service Award, recognizing lifetime service to the weekly auto racing industry. National Speed Sport News, presented the Nineteenth Annual National Speed Sport News Award for outstanding annual short-track event to the Dirt Track World Championships.

For more information, visit www.racingpromotionmonthly.net. -RPM

2/8

Grays Harbor Goes ASA - Elma, WAGrays Harbor Raceway located in Elma, WA, has joined the growing number of ASA Member Tracks. The 3/8-mile clay oval hosts six weekly divisions throughout the season on Saturday nights. The 6,500-seat facility also hosts some of the best touring dirt series as well, including the World of Outlaw Sprint Cars. The 2009 seson opens on Saturday, April 25, with 360 Sprint Cars, Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Midgets, and Cruisers in action. For more information, visit www.graysharborraceway.net or www.ASA-Racing.com. -john fletcher

Back To Pavement - Lebanon, MOThe Lebanon I-44 Speedway will once again return to Asphalt Racing for the 2009 season. The Speedway which was pavement from 1989-2002 was the hotbed for Saturday night short-track racing during those years. In 2003, the track was converted to a dirt surface, while the Asphalt surface still remained under the dirt.

3/8

Kool Kids Shirts - Memphis, TNBring your future racers up right with the COMP Cams "Never Too Little to Think Big" T-shirt. Younger kids will love these shirts, which sport "crayon" style car graphics on the front and the words "Never Too Little To Think Big." Available in three youth sizes: XS (2-4), S (6-8), and M (10-12). For older kids, the new "Horsepower Never Goes Out of Style" shirt is perfect and comes in L (14-16) and XL (18-20). For more information, visit www.compcams.com. -Comp Cams

4/8

Coleman Inducted - Menominee, MIGene Coleman, the founder and owner of Coleman Racing Products and Coleman Machine was recently inducted into the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame. Coleman, 67, began racing in 1964 and plans to race this upcoming season. While he has accumulated feature wins and track championships both as a racer and car owner/sponsor too numerous to list, Coleman is probably best known for innovative racing products such as a brake activated engine kill switch, directional vane brake rotors, internal axle seals, and many more-some of which have received patents. Coleman is now semi-retired and resides part-time in Daytona Beach, Florida, where he keeps tabs on the racing industry while pursuing his second passion, flying. Congrats Gene! -Coleman Machine

5/8

New Super Late Series - Huntsville, ALLegendary race promoter B.J. Parker has formed a new Super Late Model asphalt short-track series in the South. The Southern Super Stars will kick off its season at Sayre Speedway and Huntsville Speedway in Alabama and will include races at Montgomery (AL) Motor Speedway as well as Senoia Raceway in Georgia. Races will be 100 laps with no tire purchase requirement. A driver can use take-offs for practice or run the race on used tires. Races will pay $1,500-to-win and $200-to-start. The season finale will be a bigger race with details to come. The 2009 rules are posted at www.superstarsracing.com. -Southern Superstars

6/8

ARCA Race Moves To Mansfield - Mansfield, OHThe doors were barely shut on Mansfield Motorsports Park in Ohio when it was announced that the ARCA RE/Max Series race on June 20 originally scheduled to take place at the Music City Motorplex in Nashville, TN, will be moved to the 3/8-mile asphalt of Mansfield.The change in venue was approved by ARCA officials after promoter Joe Mattioli III reached an agreement with Mansfield Motorsports Park owner Mike Dzurilla to run the event at Mansfield. For more info, visit www.mansfieldmotorsportsonline.com. -Phil Cavali

7/8

A Place To Race - Concord, NCUSARacing, formerly known as the Hooters Pro Cup Series, announced a 14-race schedule for 2009 with the first race at Concord Speedway, in Concord, NC. That means John Gibson, Circle Track's Tech Editor, now has a place to race! The events will be held in a seven state geographical region and will include return visits to Winchester Speedway in Winchester, IN, for the first time since 2003, and Rockingham, NC, in conjunction with the Automobile Racing Series of America (ARCA) season finale on October 10. For more information, visit www.usarprocup.com. -John Gibson

8/8

R.I.P. Crane - Daytona Beach, FLCrane Cams, the 56-year-old icon of the auto racing and hot rod enthusiast markets, closed its doors during the last week of February. At press time, Crane had already laid off all of its employees. Crane Cams and Crane Technologies Group were founded by Harvey J. Crane Jr. in 1953 as Crane Engineering Inc. in Hallandale, FL. The company was well known for its line of camshafts and engine valvetrain components.

In 1979, Crane became an employee-owned company. More recently, Crane fell on hard times. In 2006 Mikronite, an industrial technology firm based in New Jersey, bought Crane and attempted to rejuvenate the brand to no avail. -Circle Track Archives